Ornamental material, insert for same, and method of making same



June 30, 1931. w. B. BRAGGER ET AL ORNAMENTAL MATERIAL, INSERT FOR SAME, AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Jan. 10, 1930 13 BnventorS v Wi/ZZIZZI 7' er view the invention am l am I uui'rao sms,

-pl1-e -josms a. or m masar. Assmnons or saw you mm m m weapon r. man-n14. or mass! crrr. we run. ,urr, me. or raw ronx, 11.1., A conroaarron onmmrar. m'rmmm, rasm'rron sum. a m m s or sumo sum Application and January in, an. Serial 1 0.4193.

a material of ornamental character in which various colored and figurativeefiects may be obtained.

Another object vide an improved method of combimng a mass and the inserts therein whereby a varied and other objects in With the foregoin ill be more fully described hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic enlarged view of a part 'of. a shell illustrating the laminations thereof; I 5

Fig. 2 isa similar view showing a piece of shell out acrossthe laminae thereof and exposing edges of such laminae;

Fig. 3 IS a top .view illustratin serrated ed' es ofoverlapping laminae of a s ell piece;

, ig. 4 is a side view of a piece of shell after such piece. of shell has been subjected to the action of coloring matter; a Fig. 5 shows an artificially colored shell piece imbedded into a massat an angle to a break or cut across the laminae of such shell such shell piece being also shown as imbeiided into a mass at an an de of a facet of the shell piece to a surface of the mass;

' Fig. 6' illustrates-shell pieces imbedded into a mass, laminae of the shell pieces being shown at the same angle; and

Fig. 7 illustrates shell pieces imbedded into a mass, the laminae of the shell pieces being shown at difierent angles.

' In carrying our invention into effect inserts are placed in any suitable susceptible of becoming set or hardened. Such p'lasticmass may consist of a single kind of material or may consist of a mixture of'materials. As illustrative of plastic masses which may be used in carrying our invention into efiect plastic glasses of or containing casein, bakelite, metal alloy, cement, celluloid or clays may be mentioned. The plasinvention relates to improve of the invention is to pro-' plastic mass tic mass may be given any desired color or colors, and the-plastic mass may be such as will be susceptible to a polish after the plastic mass has set orhardened. The hardened mass will constitute a base of our-ornamental material.

The inserts placed in the plastic mass are preferably pieces of shell of a translucent natufre formed of laminae having irregular surfaces which overlap one another, the edges of the laminae of the pieces of shell being serrated and being disposed in zigzag formation as shown in Fig. :3. The. irregular surfaces of the'laminaeand the serrated edges of the laminae may not be readil discerned with the naked eye but they may apparent if subjected to microscopical examina'tion. Through the phenomenon of light interference the irre ularities in the surfaces of the laminae and the zigza formation of the edges of the laminae cause ight rays to split into at right an les to their lager formation as illustrated y the arrows in Fig. 1 and only the cut, broken or ground edges of the layers of the laminae be exposed to the light the chromatic iridescent nacreous effect above referred to will be at a minimum, resulting in a characteristic translucent milky lustre. And if the laminae be cut, broken or ground at an angle within a ninety degree are to the layer formation of the laminae then, as the angle lessens from a right angle to the layer formation a larger and larger part of the faces and of the serrated edges of the laminae will be exposed to the light and the translucent milky lustre will decrease, the chromatic iridescent nacreous effect 'incieasing as the angle to the layer formation of the laminae grows less. Fig. 2 is intended to repre sent a case where-the line of the cut 16 across the laminae is at an angle of-say forty-five degrees to the layer formation of the laminae of a piece of shell.

What we mean by the angle of the laminae is the angle which the line of the break or cut across the laminae (such line forming a facet) bears to the layer formation of the laminae of the piece of shell.

The inserts may be imbedded in the plastic mass haphazardly and chances taken as to the angles, if any, which the outermost facet of each shell piece will bear to the layer formation of such shell piece when the shell piece is presented to view in the finished material. Or the inserts may be sorted and the basis for such sorting may be the angle which the facet of a piece of shell bears to the layer formation of such piece of shell, and pieces of shell may be inserted in the plastic mass with a selected outermost facet of each piece of shell at a redetermined angle tothe layer formation of such piece of shell. Obviously an angle selected may be any within ninet degrees or there may be no angle at all if a facet chosen has the laminae of its piece of shell as such laminae are on the surface of such piece of shell.

The inserts may be so placed in the mass that when the material is in finished condition the laminae resented to view in each selected outermost acet of each piece of shell will be presented at a predetermined angle to such selected outermost facet. And a piece of shell may be placed in the mass not only with regard to the angle which a selected outermost facet bears to the layer formation of the laminae of such piece of shell, but a shell piece may be so placed in the mass that a selected outermost acet of such shell piece will be parallel or at any redetermined angle to a finished surface 0 the material.

Inserts may be so placed in the mass that the angle of the lammae of each shell piece will be uniform and of the same degree in: each piece, or the shell pieces may be so placed in the mass that thelr respective laminae will be at all angles or at varied desired angles within an arc of ninety degrees, resulting in the presentation to view on a finished surface of the material of a chromatic kaleidoscopic efl'ect ranging from a purely nacreous to a milky translucent effect.

In Fig. 6 pieces of shell are shown as placed in a plastic mass, the shell pieces illustrated in that figure being arbitraril shown all at the same angle. In Fig. 7 t ree pieces ofshell 17 18 and 19, of arbitrary size and shape, are shown as placed in a mass 13. 17 is intended to represent a. piece of shell laced in the mass with the laminae presented y the selected outermost facet of such ieee of shell in parallel relation to the line 0 such facet; 18' is intended to represent a piece of shell placed in the mass with the laminae presented mined neiaiee by a selected outermost facet of such last mentioned piece of shell at an angle of say fortyfive degrees to the line of such facet; and 19 is intended to represent a piece of shell placed in the mass with the laminae presented by a selected outermost facet of such last mentioned piece of shell at say an angle of ninety degrees to the line of such facet.

Shell pieces intended for use may be artificially colored. Coloring matter will not penetrate in a direction at right angles to the laminae of the layer formation of a piece of shell except to an inappreciable extent if at all. Coloring matter will, however, penetrate to a greater or less extent in between the laminae of a piece of shell.

y visible even in a facet of a shell piece'which presents the laminae of such shell piece parallel to the layer formation of such shell' piece. Figs, 4 and 5 are intended to arbitrarily show pieces of shell and to illustrate the decreasing penetration of coloring 22 between the laminae 15 from the edges.

-Artificiall colored shell pieces may be placed in a p) astic mass in the manner already described, ut if artificially colored shell pieces are to be placed in a plastic mass in accordance with a predetermined plan there may be considered, in working out the results of such predetermined plan, not only the angles of the laminae, as before explained, but the angle to the horizontal of a selected outermost facet. In Fig. 5 a piece of shell artificially colored, say green, is shown as placed in a mass with the laminae of such piece of shell at a predetermined angle'and with a selected outermost facet at a predetermined angle to the horizontal. I--E is a selected facet of the shell piece illustrated and the angle which' such selected facet bears to the horizontal.

Shell pieces intended for use may be of one or more varieties and of any desired color or shade of color, or any desired combination of colors or shades of color, and shell pieces of different varieties and of various colors or shadesof color may be placed in the same mass. Artificially colored shell pieces and shell pieces not artificiall colored may be placed in the same mass. S hell pieces may be placed in the mass in accordance with any predetermined design or pattern.

The pieces of shell used will be of adequate size to secure a good grip in the material.

The shell pieces maybe placed in the mass manually or otherwise. Selected facets may, if desired, be lightly attached at predeterangles to a matrix and that matrix I may thereafter be used in placing the pieces ,they protrude. .The reduction of such (proof shell in the mass.

Shell pieces may be so placed in the mass that parts of the shell pieces will protrude from themass after it has hardened, but

where shell pieces are so placed inthe massthe shell pieces will penetrate sufficiently deep into the material so that no piece-of she I may accidentally be pulled out. Or the shell pieces may be so placed in theplastic mass that the plastic mass will cover them.

After the shell pieces are placed in the lastic mass such mass will be permitted to arden.

, After the mass has hardened such pieces of' shell as protrude from the hardened mass may be reduced to the surface from which truding shell pieces ma be accomplishe by grinding or rubbing 'own the protruding shell pieces, and after the shell pieces have been reduced to the surface from which the protrude such shell pieces may be polishe The hardened mass may be of any desired shape or form, and will, when finished, present to view one or more surfaces showing in- .serts therein.

Should ieces of shell have been so imbedded in t e plastic mass as to be covered by such plastic mass, an desired surface of the mass whenhardene may be reduced, as by grinding,.rubbing or otherwise, to bring intovlew pieces of shell imbedded in such mass, and, as illustrated in Fig. 6, a surface of the hardened mass m'a laminae of 'imbed ed shell pieces may be ground across in a convex manner 20, in a concave manner 21, or at any angle.

Should artificiall colored shell pieces have been imbedded in t e mass, the reduction of a surface of the mass and with it the reduction of such artificially colored shell pieces as are affected by the reduction of such surface may result in the presentation to view of shell ieces of progressive de recs of vividness- 0 color. For instance, i the laminae .of the piece of shell illustrated in Fig. 4

be cut or ground down along theline C-D color as vivid, or substantially as vivid, as the coloring matter used will appear at point C and at point D the vividness of the color will be materially -le sjs.-'-A'nd if the mass into which the piece of shell illustrated in Fig. 5 has been imbedded be reduced from the. surface indicated by the line G-H to the line indicated by the line JK the imbedded piece of shell will'have been'reduced been slightly,

to the line F-.E. The point E will have if at all, affected in the .reducing process but all the shell piece between the points I and F will have been ground or rubbed away before the point 'F is reached. The result'will be that when a surface of the hardened mass is reduced .to the line JK the shell piece at point E' will, for reasqns .15,of the shell coated with transparent material as,

be so reduced that the already explained, show a color substantially as vivid as the coloring usedand this color will shade off along the line JK from E to F, and at point F the the color will'be lessvivid than at anypoint between E and F due to the fact that at point F the shell piece has been reduced to a point where thecoloring 22has penetrated between the laminae piece to a lesser extent than an y vghere else a ong the line from Etc F.

' e portions ofpieces of shell exposed toview in the reduction of the hardened mass may be polished in the them into view, or the of shell exposed to vlew may after the reducing process.

process which brings portions ofthe pieces be polished If the hardened mass is susceptible to polish it and the portions of the ieces of shell ex osed to VIEW may be po ished Y in the re ucing process, or the hardened mass and the portions of the pieces of shell exposed to view may be polished after the reducing process has been completed. I

'Any suitable apparatus. may be used in reducing a hardened mass or forgiving a desired form or shape to the finished material,

and if it be desired to polish pieces of shell presented to view or the surface of the hardj ened mass any suitable apparatus may be employed for either or both purposes.

After the treatment of the hardened mass hasbeen completed it may, if desired, be for in-' stance, a transparent enamel.

The shell pieces become parts of the mass in which they are placed, and when the hardened mass has been reduced the parts of the shell pieces presented to view are integral parts of the surface or surfaces of the hardened mass exposed to view.

The ornamental material produced by our structure imbedded in the base being at an angle to the layer formation of the laminated structure having such ex osed facet.

2. An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imbedded in the base, exposed facets of laminated structures imbedded in the base being at an angle to the layer formation of the laminated structures having such exposed facets. f

3. An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imbedded in the base, laminae of a laminated structure imbedded in the base having coloring matter between such laminae.

4. An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imbedded in the base, laminae of laminated structures imbedded in the base between such laminae.

5. ,An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imbedded in the base, laminae of a laminated structure imbedded in the base having coloring matter between them and'the coloring reduced by such coloring matter varying in degree.

6. An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imbedded in the base, laminae of laminated structures llIl-i bedded in the base having coloring matter between them and the coloring reduced by such coloring matter varying in egree.

Anornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imhedded in the base, laminae of a laminated structure imbedded in the base having coloring matter between such laminae and such lamina being at an angle to an exposed facet of such laminated structure. v

'8. An ornamental material comprising a base and laminated structures imhedded in the base, laminae of laminated structures imbedded in the base having coloring matter between such laminae and such laminae loeins at angles to exposed facets of such laminated structures,

y 9. The herein'descrihed method of making an ornamental material which consists in the introduction of coloring material hetween laminae of laminated structures, inserting such laminated structures in a plastic mass susceptible to hardening, permitting" suchmas s to harden, and reducing a surface. of the hardened mass.

10. The herein described method of maliing an ornamental material. which consists in placing laminated structures in a plastic mass susceptible of hardening, imhedding a laminated structure in the mass with a facet thereof exposed and at an angle to the layer formation of the laminated structure having such ex osed facet.

11. eherein described method of male ing an ornamental material which consists in placing laminated structures in a lastic mass susceptible of hardening, imbe din other laminated structures in the mass wit facets thereof exposed and at an angle to the layer formation of the laminated such exposed facets.

, In testimony tures.

WILLIAM B. BRAGGER. VICTOR F. NEKARDA,

misuse having coloring matter structures having whereof we aflix our signa- 

